Appearing on CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday, Tillis said the new Republican majority in the U.S. Senate doesn’t represent a mandate.

“I think that the American people did not give Republicans a mandate,” Tillis said, according to a transcript released by CBS. “They gave us a chance. They gave us a chance to lead.”

Tillis said President Barack Obama should ask Congress for a new use-of-force authorization to fight Islamic State militants. “I think that would be a show of good faith from the president, and I think it would give Congress more confidence that they're a part of the process,” he said.

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Tillis also criticized Obama for taking executive action on immigration. “I'm afraid that the president's unilateral action is going to set us back,” Tillis said. “I believe that what we should do first and foremost is seal the border.”

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